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BJ
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6/18/2007 11:21:11 PM
1923 Martin Steel String Acoustic
This old guitar is certainly the "granmama" of my collection. Made in 1923 (just the second year that Martin manufactured steel string guitars) it was based on the design of the "parlour guitar".
The parlour guitar was a small bodied gut stringed instrument popular in the 19th century with ladies who would play it whilst entertaining in the parlour - hence the name. When starting steel stringed guitar production Martin used the same techniques. In later years as mass production speeded up construction, standards became a little less stringent and such things as steel bracing truss rods had to be introduced.
The earlier history of this one is unknown but by the 1960s it was lying in a barn in rural Western Australia. At some stage a cow trod on it and damaged it badly. A workmate of mine who had lived on the farm brought it to the city with him, hoping to get it repaired one day. When he got married his new wife insisted that he dispose of "that piece of old junk" and thus he gave it to me rather than throw it on the tip. I took it to an aquaintance who at that time (early 1980s) was just starting a musical repair and luthery business. It took 6 months of gradually coaxing the broken pieces back into alignment, a little more each week until they could be reglued with a natural glue based on gelatine. Thus the guitar eventually had its revenge on cows.
The repairer learnt so much about early Martin craftsman's techniques from rebuilding this guitar that he only charged me about US$160 for the entire repair! He has since gone on to become a well respected Australian luthier.
It is still a beautiful sounding guitar but the wood has become very dry and brittle over the years so it is rather fragile.
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The Man With No Band
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6/18/2007 11:56:37 PM
ooooooooooohhhhhh... took my breath away... ha ha cow !
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Duane Flock
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6/19/2007 8:45:19 PM
OK, OK, Bruce. Ya got me on that one dude! Very, very nice piece indeed!
What's great about these older guitars is the wood hardens over the years and the way they resonate when you play them sounds sooooo sweeeet! That's why I only record with my 34-Gibson whenever possible. I just can't put mine in a glass case. I have to be able to play it once in a while. D.
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SILVERWOODSTUDIO
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6/19/2007 11:32:36 PM
Fascinating------A good story with a warning to bovines!!
I once had an early 1940s Hofner, (f holes) full accoustic, with a moulded back--------my flatmate "borrowed it" on a road trip and got stoned and left it at a railway station, while he relieved himself, I wonder where it is now?
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